Article and tray package



Nov. 12, 1968 a. G. COPPING ARTICLE AND TRAY PACKAGE Filed June 15, 1965INVENTOR.

BRUCE G. COPPHNG ATTYS.

United States Patent O 3,410,396 ARTICLE AND TRAY PACKAGE Bruce G.Cupping, Akron, Ohio, assiguor to Geo. J.

Meyer Manufacturing Co., Cudahy, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin FiledJune 15, 1965, Ser. No. 464,143 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A method of forming an article comprising placing a topmember upon the tops of articles in a tray having articles therein, andpositioning a transparent, heat shrinkable plastic film around theexposed vertical margins of the tray and article assembly. The opposedmarginal edge portions of the film are secured to the tray and to thetop member, and the film is heat shrunk into tight engagement with thetop member, tray and article assembly.

The present invention relates to packaging, and particularly to a noveland improved package for a plurality of articles positioned on one ormore trays in one or more horizontal layers in the package provided bythe invention.

At the present time, there are many different types of packages providedcommercially, and one new type of package that has received somecommercial acceptance comprises one or more horizontal layers ofarticles carried by a support tray, or trays, and with, for example, atransparent plastic band enclosing the tray and articles thereon andcomprising an open ended tube that is positioned on a horizontal axisand bands the tray or trays with the articles thereon by a biaxial heatshrunk enclosure action. The band extends completely around the packagefrom top to bottom thereof and initially has protruding end portionsthat are shrunk into engagement with the end portions of the trays andend articles of the sections or portions of the articles exposed as theband is heated to shrink into engagement with the package. These traysusually are only of an inch or two of vertical height to receive andcarry the articles for display and sale purposes.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved article and tray package characterized by the provision of atop board on the top layer of articles received on and positioned by thetrays and by an endless plastic enclosure band that extendscircumferentially around the tray and articles thereon, which enclosureband is positioned on a vertical axis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedarticle and tray package characterized by its competitiveness in pricewith present cardboard boxes and other packaging means, andcharacterized by the use of low cost heat shrinkable film that willusually shrink on only the longitudinal axis of a plastic strip fromwhich the enclosure band is formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attractive novel andimproved tray and package assembly that is cheaper than constructions ofa similar type proposed heretofore, and to provide a novel and improvedpackage that has a better appearance and is of sturdier ultimateconstruction than previous types of article and tray packages.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedarticle and tray package wherein a top member is provided in the packageand which top member has dependent flanges extending longitudinallythereof for extending down over the lateral margins of the top chimes onthe packaged articles for protecting an en closure band thereafterpositioned around the tray and articles and top member received thereinto protect the enclosure band from being cut, or loosened by the topchimes on the articles in the package.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved plasticenclosure means for article and tray packages and wherein a top memberis provided in the package over the exposed tops of articles in thepackage and where an enclosure 'band is suitably cemented to the topmember and bottom tray prior to heat shrink action on the enclosure bandto facilitate bonding the enclosure band tightly to the trays and othermeans received within the package.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a sturdy improvedpackage and display assembly for a plurality of articles, which packagecan be readily opened when desired.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel and improvedarticle and tray package wherein a heat shrink transparent film is usedto enclose a plurality of articles and associated support means whichfilm is relatively easy to heat shrink into tight engagement with thearticles and other article carrying means provided in the package; toprovide a novel and improved article package wherein a plurality ofarticles, such as cans, can be locked into relatively fixed horizontalpositions; to provide an improved package which minimizes chimemisalignment of the packaged articles; and to provide a sturdy andimproved article and tray package that is adapted to stand rough usagein transport and shipment without loosening its grip upon the packagedarticles.

In the practice of the present invention, it will be realized that thepackage can be made to include only one horizontally extending tray witharticles supported thereon and a top member on the upper ends of suchhorizontally aligned articles, or two or more vertically spaced,horizontal layers of articles can be positioned on individual supporttrays and again with a top member being provided on the top of the upperlayer of cans or articles present in the package. Any suitable number ofarticles can be carried in any of the layers provided in the package andnormally the same number of articles are present in each layer of thepackaged trays.

While any desired type of a heat shrinkable film can be used in thepractice of the invention, it is a feature of the invention that a lesscostly film can be used in that it only needs to be heat shrinkable uponthe longitudinal axis of the film used to enclose or be wrapped aroundthe circumference of the trays and articles thereon to be packaged bythe invention. One suitable heat shrinkable film is the product known asVitafilm as sold by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio.This film is a polyvinyl chloride film, and such film has worked verywell in the practice of the invention when the film is approximately 1/2 mils thick, and is only oriented in one direction, which is on thelongitudinal axis of the sheet of film as initially produced. Such filmhas good heat shrink properties on its longitudinal axis and has about 5to 8 percent shrinkage possible on its transverse axis. Usually thisfilm is shipped in roll form, and in the practice of the invention, thefilm is wound around the periphery of the trays and articles to form atube, having a vertical axis, in which the packaged members areconmember used in forming the 3 principles of the invention and usingthe top member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken on line 33 ofFIG. 2, prior to heat shrink action;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the package of FIG. 2, when completed; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section, like FIG. 3, buttaken after heat shrink action.

In general, this invention relates to a novel article and tray packagecomprising one or more trays having edges thereon, a plurality ofarticles being snugly positioned on said trays and extending above saidedges and if two or more trays are provided they are stacked upon eachother being carried by the articles on the lower tray, a top membercarried by said articles on the upper tray, said top member preferablyhaving a pair of parallel dependent flanges thereon engaging upper edgeportions of the adjacent articles but leaving sections thereof exposed,a plastic film tightly engaging said tray or trays, top member andexposed sections of all marginal articles on said trays, said film beingin an endless band on a vertical axis, and adhesive means bonding edgeportions of said plastic film to said top member to said lower tray.

In considering the details of the invention, reference should be had tothe drawing wherein the improved article and tray package of theinvention is indicated as a whole by the numeral 1. Such article andtray package will primarily be referred to hereinafter as the packageand it comprises a bottom tray 2, an upper tray 3, and a top member 4.Preferably, the trays 2 and 3, and the top member 4 are all made fromconventional materials, such as paperboard, cardboard, plyboard,corrugated paperboard, or the like. Each of the trays 2 and 3 is ofsubstantially rectangular shape and is adapted to receive a plurality ofarticles 5 thereon. These articles 5 are arranged in a plurality, suchas three rows and with four articles being present in each row wherebytwelve articles are carried by each of the trays 2 and 3.

These articles 5 normally are abutted tightly against each other, atleast in the chimes 6 usually formed at the top and bottom of thearticles 5. The articles 5 obviously can be of any conventionalconstruction and normally are metallic cans receiving foods, beveragesor other materials therein and normally the articles have the chimes 6at both the top and bottom thereof.

The trays 2 and 3 include vertically upwardly extending walls 7 and 8,respectively, that extend completely around the peripheral portions ofthe trays to engage and retain the articles 5 snugly positioned thereonwhereby the upper tray 3 can be conveniently positioned upon thearticles 5 received in and carried by the bottom tray 2. Thereafter, orat any suitable time, the top member 4 is placed upon the top of thearticles 5 received in and carried by the upper tray 3. It should benoted that this top member 4 has a pair of dependent side flanges 9extending downwardly along, usually, the longer sides of this top member4 to engage and extend downwardly beyond the top chimes 6 of thearticles 5 on the upper tray.

The package 1 of the invention also includes a plastic enclosure band10. This enclosure band, as a feature of the invention, is made from anysuitable longitudinal strip of plastic material of the type indicatedhereinabove, and usually is transparent and heat shrinkable, primarilyon the longitudinal axis of the original strip of plastic film. Suchfilm 10 is of a width that upper and lower marginal portions thereof, asindicated at 11, extend over, or can be folded over horizontally toengage with the upper surface of the top member 4 and the bottom surfaceof the bottom tray 2 at the longitudinal lateral margins thereof. Thefilm needs only a slight heat shrink vertically of the package as it isinitially secured in the package fairly tightly in the directionextending transversely of the film.

As another feature of the invention, to facilitate forming the package1, suitable strips of adhesive 12 are deposited in a conventional manneralong the opposed longitudinally extending marginal portions of the topmember 4 and on the bottom edge surfaces of the bottom tray 2. Thus,such adhesive, which may be of any suitable composition, so that itengages readily and bonds tightly to marginal portions of the film 10,is deposited on the top member 4 prior to application of the film 10 tothe tray assembly. Then the film edges are folded over in anyconventional manner to engage the adhesive and be bonded thereto.

It will be realized that ends, or edges 13 and 14 of the film 10 areoverlapped slightly in a transversely extending direction in the package1 as shown in FIG. 2. These edges 13 and 14 are then suitably bondedtogether by adhesive, or by a heat bonding action, as desired, to form avertical seam in the film.

Thereafter, after the band of film 10 has been formed around the package1 and the margins of the film have been secured to opposed top andbottom portions thereof to the top member 4 and bottom tray 2, thepackage 1 is subjected to suitable heat shrink conditions. For example,a blast, or blasts of hot air can be directed against the heatshrinkable film 10 to cause it to shrink to reduce longitudinal lengthand to a slightly shorter height (width), and tightly bond against themarginal portions of the walls 7 and 8 and the exposed areas of thearticles 5, whereby a tightly bonded, unitary package 1 has beenprovided. This package is adapted to withstand the relatively rough usethat packages receive in storage and shipment and Will retain thearticles in tightly bonded, adjacent relationship even though only avery thin layer of plastic film is used as the bonding medium. FIG. 5shows how the plastic film 10 is heat shrunk into tight engagement withthe articles and holds them with the top chimes thereof firmly abuttedagainst each other to prevent any loosening of these articles in the useof the package. FIG. 3, in contrast, Shows how the film 10 iS relativelyloosely associated with the contents of the package prior to the heatshrink action on the film.

The top member 4 may have edge flanges at all margins thereof, ifdesired, but the film 10 would still preferably only be secured to suchmember, or its flanges on only one pair of opposed margins thereof.

When desired, other types of film may be used in the practice of theinvention but the strip plastic film has the advantages of low cost andconvenient attachment to the package. A plastic band could be preformedand be telescoped over the package contents, if desired.

The present package comprises an appreciable improvement over previoustypes of packages similar thereto and wherein the heat shrinkable film,for example, would be banded around the package 1 in a circumferentialdirection from top to bottom thereof with end portions overlapping andextending longitudinally beyond the contents of the package. On heatshrink action, such film purportedly will come into engagement with endareas of the package and contents thereof by a biaxial heat shrinkaction.

It should be understood that any suitable adhesive means may be used tobond edge portions of the top and bottom of the plastic film band to thetop member 4 and to the bottom tray 2 and that the adhesive can beapplied at any time in any suitable manner. Preferably onlycorresponding parallel edges of the top and bottom portions of theplastic band are secured to the contents of the package as hereindescribed to facilitate opening the package by tearing or cutting thefilm at, for example, the ends of the package.

The present article and tray package of the invention lends itself toeasy opening action as the end portions of the plastic film 10 are notbonded to the top member 4 or bottom tray 2 in any manner and can begrasped and be torn or cut readily to expose the individual trays 2 and3 for removal from the package and display and sale of the contents ofthe package, usually while still retained upon the trays 2 and 3 fordisplay and sale action.

Thus it is believed that the objects of the invention have beenachieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosedherein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particularembodiment of the invention may be restored to without departing fromthe scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a package comprising the steps of fillingpaperboard trays with articles,

placing one tray upon another,

placing a paperboard top member upon the tops of the articles in theupper tray,

providing strips of adhesive means on corresponding opposed bottom outeredges of said lower tray and the upper edges of said top member,

wrapping a heat shrinkable plastic film sheet around the exposedvertical margins of the tray and article assembly, which film extendsvertically upwardly and downwardly beyond such tray and articleassembly, securing edges of the film to the adhesive means, and heatshrinking the film into tight engagement with the top member, tray andarticle assembly.

2. A method of forming a package comprising the steps of filling trayswith articles extending upwardly therefrom, placing one tray uponanother, covering the tops of the articles in the upper tray with a topmember,

providing strips of adhesive means on corresponding opposed bottom outeredges of said lower tray and the upper edges of said top member,

wrapping a heat shrinkable plastic film sheet around the exposedvertical margins of the trays and article assembly and securing the endsof the sheet together, which film extends vertically upwardly anddownwardly beyond such trays and article assembly, securing edges of thefilm to the adhesive means, and heat shrinking the film into tightengagement with the top member, trays and article assembly.

3. A method of forming a package comprising the steps of filling trayswith articles,

placing one tray upon another,

placing a top member upon the tops of the articles in the upper tray,

providing strips of adhesive means on corresponding opposed bottom edgeportions of said lower tray and the upper edge portions of said topmember, positioning a heat shrinkable plastic ,film around the exposedvertical margins of the trays and article assembly, which film is heatshrinkable on an axis extending around said assembly and is longervertically than the height of such trays and article assembly,

securing edges of the film to the adhesive means, and

heat shrinking the film into tight engagement with the top member, traysand article assembly.

4. A method of forming a package comprising the steps of filling anumber of trays with articles,

placing at least one tray upon another,

placing a top member upon the top of the articles in the upper tray,

positioning a heat shrinkable plastic film around the exposed verticalmargins of the trays and article assembly, which fihn is heat shrinkableon an axis extending around said assembly and is longer vertically thanthe height of such trays and article assembly,

adhesively securing at least opposed marginal edge portions of the filmto the lower tray and to the top member, and

heat shrinking the film into tight engagement with the top member, traysand article assembly.

5. An article and tray package comprising a paperboard tray havingvertically upwardly extending edges thereon, a plurality of articlesbeing snugly positioned on said tray and extending above said edges,

a paperboard top member carried by said articles, said top member havinga pair of parallel dependent flanges thereon engaging upper edgeportions of the adjacent articles but leaving sections thereof exposed,

a heat shrunk plastic film tightly engaging said tray, top member andthe exposed sections of all marginal articles on said tray, said filmhaving edge portions extending over a pair of opposed edges of each ofsaid tray and said top member, and

adhesive means on the top surface of said top member only at said edgesand on the bottom surface of said tray at said edges,

said plastic film being bonded by said adhesive means to said top memberand said tray.

6. An article and tray package comprising a pair of trays havingvertically upwardly extending edges thereon, a plurality of articlesbeing snugly positioned on said trays, and extending above said edges,an upper tray being positioned upon the tops of the articles in a lowertray,

a top member carried by said articles in said upper tray,

a heat shrunk plastic film band on a vertical axis tightly engaging saidtrays, top member and the exposed sections of all marginal articles onsaid trays, and

adhesive means on said top member and on said lower tray,

said plastic film being bonded by said adhesive means to said top memberand said lower tray.

7 -A method of forming a package comprising the steps of filling arectangularly shaped tray with articles,

placing a top member upon the tops of the articles in the tray,

positioning a heat shrinkable plastic film around the exposed verticalmargins of the tray and article assembly, which film is heat shrinkableon an axis extending around said rectangular assembly and is longervertically than the height of such tray and article assembly,

adhesively securing two pairs of parallel opposed marginal edge portionsof the film to the tray and to the top member, and

heat shrinking the film into tight engagement with the top member, trayand article assembly.

8. A method of forming a package comprising the steps of filling arectangularly shaped tray with articles,

placing a top member upon the tops of the articles in the tray,

positioning a transparent heat shrinkable plastic film around theexposed vertical margins of the tray and article assembly, which film isheat shrinkable only as an axis extending around said rectangularassembly and is longer vertically than the height of such tray andarticle assembly,

securing at least two pairs of parallel opposed marginal edge portionsof the film to the tray and to the top member, and

heat shrinking the film into tight engagement with the top member, trayand article assembly.

9. An article and tray package comprising at least a pair of trayshaving vertically upwardly extending edges thereon, a plurality ofarticles being snugly positioned on said trays and extending above saidedges, one of said trays being positioned on the tops of articles in alower tray,

a top member carried by said articles in the upper tray, said top memberhaving a pair of parallel dependent flanges thereon engaging upper edgeportions of the adjacent articles but leaving sections thereof exposed,

a heat shrunk plastic film tightly engaging said edges of said trays,said flanges of said top member and the exposed sections of all marginalarticles on said trays, said film having edge portions extending over apair of opposed edges of the lower of said trays and over a pair ofopposed edges of said top member, and

adhesive means bonding said plastic film to said top member and saidlower tray at two pairs of opposed edge portions of said plastic film.

10. An article and tray package comprising a tray having verticallyupwardly extending edges thereon, a plurality of articles being snuglypositioned on said tray and extending above said edges,

a top member carried by said articles, said top member having a pair ofparallel dependent flanges thereon engaging upper edge portions of theadjacent articles but leaving sections thereof exposed,

a plastic film band extending circumferentially of and tightly engagingsaid tray, top member and the exposed sections of all marginal articleson said tray,

adhesive means on said top member and on said tray,

said plastic film being bonded by said adhesive means to said top memberand said tray.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,896,781 7/1959 Demarest 206-653,047,370 7/1962 Avtges et a1. 3,057,472 10/1962 Douty 206-65 MARTHA L.RICE, Primary Examiner.

